<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>15x12 by Monstacatz</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23187562">15x12</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monstacatz/pseuds/Monstacatz'>Monstacatz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:42:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23187562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monstacatz/pseuds/Monstacatz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire reached out and tugged Cas’ sleeve, jerking her head to the empty room next to them. ‘Can we talk?</p>
<p>‘What’s going on?’ He asked, concerned that something was wrong.</p>
<p>‘I just wanted to ask you some uh things about...stuff.’ </p>
<p>Cas nodded, intrigued now by her odd behavior. ‘Go ahead.’</p>
<p>‘Things with Kaia are getting kinda serious and I know it’s barely been a week since we got her back but she was gone for so long and I thought she was dead. So I was just wondering, how long did it take for you to realize Dean was the one?’ She blurted it all out in one long tumble of words, with barely a breath in between.</p>
<p>Cas paused for a long moment and stared at her, possibly in shock.</p>
<p>Eventually, he gathered himself enough to get out a slightly strangled ‘What?’</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester, Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>15x12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Not being able to leave my house as much because of the COVID-19 lockdown has one bright side: I'm getting back into writing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had only been a few days since they had pulled Kaia back into their world when the knock on the door startled Sam out of trying to beat Jack in a game of Connect Four. Despite the kid only having played once before he was alarmingly good.</p>
<p>Viewing the disturbance as an easy way out of losing his fifth game in a row Sam got up and climbed the spiral stairs to unlock the heavy door, equal parts cautious and eager to find out who was calling for them. After all, not many people knew where the bunker even was.</p>
<p>When he hauled open the creaky metal door he was greeted only with a flash of blonde hair before Claire barreled into him and wrapped her arms tight around his waist. </p>
<p>‘Thank you.’ She muttered into his chest as Sam shook his head dazedly and blinked up at Kaia, who was standing just outside the door with a shy smile on her face.</p>
<p>Sam gently extricated himself from Claire’s embrace and chuckled lightly. </p>
<p>‘Good to see you too, Claire, Kaia.’ He greeted and moved back to let the two girls in.</p>
<p>As they descended the stairs Sam closed the door with a clang of metal and leaned on the banister. </p>
<p>‘Dean, Cas, we’ve got visitors.’ He called out as Jack met the two of them at the end of the stairs and Claire pulled him in for a firm hug too.</p>
<p>He’d never known the young blonde to be so affectionate before. The few days she’d spent with Kaia since she’d come back must have changed her outlook on life.  </p>
<p>The other two permanent inhabitants of the bunker emerged from the direction of the kitchen and Cas’ whole face lit up at the sight of the two girls standing at the bottom of the stairs.</p>
<p>Dean had an undeniable smile on his face too as the group met up and Sam joined them. </p>
<p>Dean was the one to scoop Claire up in a hug before she could attack him with one and she laughed into his shoulder as she thanked him as well. </p>
<p>Kaia had gravitated towards Cas at that point and they were talking quietly as Claire and Dean filled the room with their back-and-forth. </p>
<p>Eventually, Claire wandered her way over to the other girl and Castiel and half-awkwardly slid herself under one of Cas’ arms to give him a side hug.</p>
<p>‘If Dean is any kind of reliable source at all, you played a big part in saving her.’ She said into his ear, almost like she was embarrassed about saying it in front of Kaia. </p>
<p>Castiel smiled awkwardly and nodded. </p>
<p>‘I suppose, but mostly I just helped with the wards to stop Chuck detecting Jack.’ </p>
<p>Kaia took the whispering as a hint that Claire wanted a moment to talk to Cas alone and gave her a small smile before heading off to sit down at the war table with the others who had since shifted in that direction. </p>
<p>‘Dean seems to think differently.’ She stated. ‘He mentioned that your powers were...fluctuating.’ She paused for a second and considered him. ‘So I wanted to just let you know that I appreciate it a lot, you using your grace to bring her back.’ </p>
<p>Cas tightened his arm around her briefly and smiled tiredly at her. </p>
<p>‘It’s the least I could do.’ </p>
<p>Before Claire could say anything in response Cas was guiding her to the table to the seat next to Kaia and from then on ridiculous card games with ever-changing rules ensued.</p>
<p>Hours later, when everyone was finally heading off to bed, Claire cornered Cas again on her way out of the bathroom. </p>
<p>She still had some foam caught in the corner of her mouth from brushing her teeth and when Kaia followed her out of the room and bumped into her back she quickly turned and pecked the other girl on the cheek. </p>
<p>Kaia looked down at the floor and flushed at the display of affection in front of Cas and excused herself to their room quietly. </p>
<p>When Claire turned back to Cas herself he didn't miss the pink tinge to her cheeks either.</p>
<p>‘Do you need something?’ Cas asked, not unkindly.</p>
<p>‘I was just-’ She was interrupted by Jack coming up from behind them to say goodnight as he headed to his room. </p>
<p>When they’d both responded in kind Claire reached out and tugged Cas’ sleeve, jerking her head to the empty room next to them. ‘Can we talk?’</p>
<p>Cas nodded, puzzled by her secrecy but followed her into the disused spare room all the same.</p>
<p>‘What’s going on?’ He asked, concerned that something was wrong.</p>
<p>‘I just wanted to ask you some uh things about...stuff.’ Claire managed to get out, the pink flush from earlier creeping up her face again.</p>
<p>Cas nodded, intrigued now by her odd behavior. ‘Go ahead.’</p>
<p>‘Things with Kaia are getting kinda serious and I know it’s barely been a week since we got her back but she was gone for so long and I thought she was dead so I was just wondering, how long did it take for you to realize Dean was the one?’ She blurted it all out in one long tumble of words, with barely a breath in between.</p>
<p>Cas paused for a long moment and stared at her, possibly in shock.</p>
<p>Eventually, he gathered himself enough to get out a slightly strangled ‘What?’</p>
<p>Claire seemed unperturbed by his clear confusion though and just continued. </p>
<p>‘Well it’s just, I can’t really talk to anyone else about this. I love Jody and Alex and they’re great to talk to about some stuff but they’re you know...straight. I just don’t think they’d get it.’ She sighed and sat down on the dusty bed, puffing up a plume of cough-inducing particles all around her.</p>
<p>‘It’s not that they’re weird about it or anything, they’ve been really supportive but I just wanted to ask your advice cause you’ve been in the same place with Dean, right? When you fall for someone who’s part of the life, who you don’t have to hide it all from. But that puts them in the same constant danger as you, plus whatever bullshit stigma that comes from liking the same gender. I guess I just want you to tell me that it can work out, even when you have to constantly worry about each other.’ She sighed again as the last bit came tumbling out of her mouth, but she seemed hopeful. </p>
<p>Cas wasn’t sure how to react. He didn’t want to crush all of her newfound optimism by asking her where on earth she’d gotten the idea that he and Dean were together from. She seemed so sure of it, so sure in fact that she hadn’t even confirmed it with him before going on her rant about same-sex couples in the hunting world and ‘making it work’ as she put it.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat and found himself avoiding her gaze as he awkwardly started. ‘Claire I- Dean and I, we aren’t together. I’m not sure I’m the best person to advise you on these matters. I’m sorry.’ </p>
<p>He chanced looking at her just in time to see her face fall. </p>
<p>‘No Cas, I’m sorry, for not checking in sooner. What happened? Don’t you love him anymore? Or did he-’ </p>
<p>Cas cut her concerned questioning off with a wave of his hand and fought back a flash of indignance. ‘I don’t think you understand me Claire, Dean and I never were together and quite frankly I’m not sure where you got the idea from.’ There was an air of finality to his voice, like the conversation was over.</p>
<p>Claire gaped at him from her perch on the bed and shook her head disbelievingly.</p>
<p>‘You weren’t? But it just seemed like- wow. You’ve got a lot of people to convince otherwise, that's all I'm saying.’ She sighed and heaved herself up from the bed. If Cas didn’t want to talk she wouldn’t make him. ‘Thanks for listening anyway Cas. And for the record, I think you do get what I’m talking about, even if you don’t realize it.’</p>
<p>Cas was stunned, to say the least. As the blonde left and went to go join her girlfriend in their room, it was his turn to sink onto the bed, lost in thought.</p>
<p>If what Claire had said was true and many people had been under the impression that he and Dean were a couple, there had to be a reason for it. </p>
<p>He ran through the years they’d spent by each other's side in his mind carefully, analyzing his memories for any signs that Claire had been right. </p>
<p>He supposed they were quite close to one another but Dean had referred to him as a best friend and even his brother more than once, and surely that meant that no romantic feelings were involved.</p>
<p>But if he stopped to think about it, he did care immensely for Dean and it did feel...different from the way he cared about Jack and Sam. Not a large enough difference that it diminished the love he had for the rest of his family, but a difference all the same.</p>
<p>He silently cursed Claire for making him sift through all these emotions. He thought back to what she had asked. ‘Don’t you love him anymore?’</p>
<p>He had felt indignant that she would even ask such a question, and he’d found that he wanted to say that of course he did. But loving someone and being in love with someone were two very different things.</p>
<p>He dropped his head into his hands and sighed heavily into them. The end of the world was not the time to be caught up in all these difficult thoughts and feelings. He wished Claire had never brought it up because he knew he would have a hard time thinking about anything else until he could at least figure out how he felt. How Dean felt was a different story altogether.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know I'm a little rusty so if you have any notes for me let me know down below! Or just tell me if you like it :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>